Ties that Bind
by Ominous Clouds
Summary: Daniel has been caught by the Shadow, but the entity has other plans for the mortal than just to extinguish him. Can Daniel reclaim its orb, or shall he die in vain? How will the two manage one another? And just what is the Shadow? Daniel/Shadow, perhaps a glimpse of one-sided Alexander/Daniel. Rating may change as the story progresses.
1. Simply Curious

Panic.

Daniel flew down seemingly endless corridors, the haunting calls of the Shadow close on his heels. The walls around him rattled with every step the sinister thing took towards him, footsteps heavy and thunderous as it came closer and closer. Just how large was it? It seemed monstrous, simply judging by the sound, but Daniel did not know. He simply did not know. All he knew was fear and paranoia as he fled, tendrils of flesh darting alongside him, layering the walls with decay and debris. But there, there was a door, there was his escape-!

A fleshy tendril snapped forwards and caught his ankle, yanking back with a vigorous tug. A strangled cry left Daniel's lips as he lunged forward, hand outstretched towards the door before him, fingertips grazing the knob before he was whipped away. He fought against the tendrils that wrapped around him but it proved fruitless, every struggle only increasing the pressure on his bones. Was this it? Was this how he was to die, to be devoured by this evil entity for his former self's crimes?

"No!" he sobbed, the door fading away as darkness consumed the hall around him. The Shadow's roar was ominous and deafening. "Please, have… have mercy! I knew not that artifact was so dear to you, I-"

Another roar silenced him and Daniel bowed his head, shaking uncontrollably. He clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the horrors that filled it, to hold off the insanity that threatened to consume him. He was going to die, there were no two ways about it. He could only hold his breath and hope for a swift death, yet judging by the character of his captor, that was unlikely. The shadows whipped around him, closing in, tainting his very thoughts. Sobbing bitterly, Daniel turned his head skywards and mouthed an '_I'm sorry.'_to the Heavens above, to which he hoped his victims would hear. Perhaps they would pity him.

And just like that, the noise suddenly stopped.

For a moment, Daniel thought he had died, that his soul had been devoured and now hung in limbo, or worse yet, was immersed within the Shadow itself. Yet he could still feel his heart pounding against his chest, his limbs were still bound, his mind… swallowing hard, Daniel inhaled slowly before cracking his eyes open.

There was nothing but an unnatural darkness, just as he had felt earlier in the Storage. He stared around bleakly, trying to make out a form or perhaps see the wall, but to no avail. He tried to move but could not, the tendrils that were snaked around him giving his body a slight squeeze, as if reminding Daniel just who he was dealing with. But if the Shadow was still here… where was it? Why hadn't it killed him?

"Hello?" his voice was small and timid as he spoke out, flinching at how defeated he sounded. Silence. He was truly alone in this realm of darkness. This must be his punishment for his sins.

Yet just as he began to despair, a sudden light erupted right in front of him and he cried out, eyes snapping shut once more. He slowly counted to ten, his heartbeat thundering against his skull, and opened his eyes once more… only to find himself staring into the sinister red gaze of the Shadow.

Its eyes were large and glowing red, pupils dark slits, almost snake-like. They were massive compared to Daniel's, confirming the immense size of the beast as he had thought. The longer he stared into them, the more his vision blurred and stomach churned. He felt terribly ill in both mind and body; he was going mad, if he weren't already. Daniel felt his mouth open and close loosely, as if trying to form words but failing. He was simply too terrified.

The thing cracked a huge smile, showcasing the multiple layers of jagged teeth it had and… was that a laugh? A slow sort-of chuckle rumbled throughout the room, emanating from the form in front of him. Even as Daniel watched, it began shifting, the darkness around it pulling into the shapes of limbs; long, unnatural arms and legs, huge talons and demonic horns… was this perhaps the fate it wanted Daniel to have? To be scorned for an eternity?

"Why must you drag it out, be done with it! Be done with me!" Daniel snapped, shivering still despite his forced courage in the face of such a fiend. "Take me and be on your way!"

The Shadow only seemed to snort at that, its maw cracking into an even wider grin. It considered Daniel for a moment, eyes narrowed and searching, before condensing itself into a smaller form. It was as if it had layers that collapsed upon themselves, the darkness shrinking away until its form was relative to Daniel in terms of height. It was still completely black with unnatural limbs and evil eyes, but it had become… smaller.

"No." The Shadow boomed, its voice deep and masculine, yet heavily distorted; it seemed to echo off the walls of Daniel's mind, chill his very blood. Daniel started stupidly back at the beast, amazed that it could even enunciate.

"You… what… you can speak!" Daniel stated in awe, the heinous cackle of the Shadow rousing him from his stupor. He shrinked away from the beast's claw as it extended one towards him, almost curiously. "But how?"

"You are a fool, my dear Daniel." The Shadow spoke again, withdrawing its talon. Daniel blanched at hearing his name. "You know nothing of me, of my kind. Of my purpose. No, I shan't end you. Not yet. Not until you've reclaimed my orb from your terrible master. Steal it from him, as you did me."

"Why are you sparing me? After everything I've done, after the things I've… had to do." Daniel wept, his tears falling openly onto the flesh that bound him, each drop causing the surface to sizzle. "You can kill Alexander so easily. I may not know you, but I know of your power. Why do you need me?"

The Shadow laughed again and loomed in, its face dangerously close. Daniel felt himself swoon and nearly passed out. "Because you are not like the others." It fell back then, head tilting to the side. "The other thieves that came for my artifact, seeking its power for their own miserable means. I've encountered many fools who thought they could use it, but no. Not one. Their hearts were greedy and contemptuous. But you…"

Daniel gulped, the Shadow laying an eerily cold hand upon his forehead.

"You were simply... curious."

* * *

Well its certainly been a long time since I've been driven to write any sort of Fanfiction, but with my recent love of Amnesia, I'm giving this a whirl. Its not canon, I suppose, but... the events leading up to this encounter can be considered as such. I'm making the Shadow into his own personality and character. I think it will be fun. As for how the two will bond in the future, well... we shall see, no? ;p

Let me know if I should continue or not. ;p Or any changes/suggestions, that would be wonderful.

Thank you!

-Omi


	2. Answers

Confusion.

Daniel slowly roused, head hammering with a wicked headache and limbs terribly sore. After a minute to compose himself, he ventured a look about his surroundings, only to discover he hadn't gone anywhere. Or so he thought, anyway; the door he had been precariously fleeing towards was just a few meters away, untouched. Yet… he had been bound, hadn't he? The last thing he could remember was the frigid touch of the Shadow's talons against his forehead, but where was the beast itself? Had it all been a trick of his ever-decaying mind? Somehow he took comfort in that possibility, as dismal as it sounded.

"Not quite." Daniel startled and flung himself back into the wall, knocking his head in the panic. Tears sprung to his eyes but he ignored them, instead searching desperately for his captor, the Shadow. Everything still seemed as it should. But how, where…?

"You ask too many questions." The voice rumbled once more, Daniel tsking softly at its remark. Lovely. So it was another mind-reader, just like Alexander-

"Do not compare me with the likes of him!" Daniel cowered back down as the foundation around him rumbled, the Shadow's voice booming against the stone and causing it to crumble. "I have been trying to make a connection with you ever since you so boldly stole my artifact. I was so close to making a breakthrough when you stumbled through these doors, into the arms of a fiend that can ward against me." It mumbled, perhaps sensing Daniel's recession into panic. "Temporarily, regardless." it added with what seemed like a snicker.

"Can you honestly blame me?" Daniel whispered, supporting his weight on the wall as he slowly rose once more. "You've plagued my sleep with nightmares and have caused me nothing but needless paranoia. You truly are my worst fear in a tangible form, darkness given flesh. You are so… disgusting."

"And these creatures that roam the halls are not?" The Shadow pressed, a slight scraping sound following suit, as if something were being dragged…

Daniel flinched and turned round, instinctively ready to move at a moment's notice, but instead swooned from the sudden action; his head pulsed, reminding him of the brief meeting it had with the wall just recently. Once more clutching the wall's foundation, Daniel peered into the darkness before him, ill at ease. It seemed the Shadow sensed this restlessness for it chuckled, spiting Daniel once more before a torch burst into light next to him, mounted on the wall just above his head. Daniel welcomed the light with a brief smile before he froze, eyes settled on the figure before him. With a sudden quake he turned, dry heaving and nearly falling sick.

It had been one of Alexander's servants, yet… horribly disfigured, even moreso than it originally had been. It was clearly dead and of no harm to Daniel in this state, but mangled and absolutely revolting. Limbs simply were not supposed to bend that way on an already damned creation. "Take it away!" he barked, turning his back fully to the abomination after he regained control of his bowels, if only for a moment.

Silence for a moment, then the sound of dragging again, causing Daniel to shudder once more. Another moment of silence and Daniel found himself looking back over his shoulder, something he often warned himself never to do in this foul place. There was nothing except a blood spattering on the floor, where the carcass had been displayed for him, and that sickly flesh clinging to the walls around it. But where was…?

"I thought you would have learned by now that I need not a physical form in order to… be." The Shadow murmured, Daniel startling at its proximity and sighing in exasperation. The fleshy substance shuddered as it spoke, causing Daniel's stomach to churn once again. "But how can you label me so revolting with these shambling horrors waltzing the halls?" It growled before falling silent. Daniel had a feeling it was waiting for an answer.

"I…" he faltered, searching desperately for an answer to please the beast. Instead, his eye fell upon the flesh once more and he pointed at it. "How is that not disgusting? What is it even, another one of your said 'forms'?"

A gust whipped Daniel's hair back as the Shadow sighed heavily, almost as if defeated. It was a forlorn thing and if Daniel weren't so wary of his captor, he might of felt bad for it. "It is… a consequence." The Shadow muttered, its voice away by the fleshy trail.

"I do not understand." Daniel ventured slowly, tentatively taking steps towards where the voice had been, kneeling down by the wall to stare at the substance, trying his damnedest not to fall ill a the sight of it. "A consequence of what?"

"Of being too long without my charge." The Shadow replied, its voice above Daniel's head, as if it were standing above him. "I was plucked from my sire's bowels and made keeper of that orb in one fell swoop. My entire existence is to serve a powerful, yet inanimate object. My purpose is to protect. And for all these eons, I have been fine with that." A brief pause. "In fact, I have had no feelings at all."

Daniel was confused at the Shadow's tongue, but said nothing. It had an odd way of wording things, almost too fanciful. But he was far too intrigued to bring up this point, and for all he knew, the Shadow was probably reading his mind at this very moment…

"Indeed." It answered dryly and Daniel groaned. How he hated this perversion of his mind! "But this," The Shadow continued, the flesh shivering on the wall slightly, as if indicated. "is something of an illness. The longer I am separated from my object, the more my form… decays."

Daniel frowned at that. "So this is a rotted part of you?"

"More or less."

How awful. Daniel stood then, his eye catching the blood spatter near him. The thought of the Shadow maiming that creature reminded him of… he turned, anger simmering in his veins. "Why have you killed those I came into contact with after finding the orb?" he spat, folding his arms. He knew it not a wise idea to have such an outburst against the Shadow, but at this point, he was dead any way he looked at it. It was about time for some answers.

"Once again, a consequence." It replied, the proximity once more startling Daniel. It was if he were face to face with it! "As I've said, my purpose is to protect. This even means I must eliminate any possible knowledge of my object leaking to this world's… public." Its voice was redirected; the Shadow had turned away. "It is unfortunate, but I am wired to do so. A hollow husk with no other ambition or desire." A pause. "Well, that was before you stumbled into my ruins."

Any anger he had for the Shadow dissolved then, confusion once more taking its place. "Must you be so vague?" Daniel sighed, moving away from the flesh-covered wall. "What do you mean? You seem far too sentient to ever be considered a husk."

"Because Daniel, I have been through many realms of space with this orb." The Shadow began, its voice set. "I have served it for thousands of years, staving off any intruder with ease. Without feeling. I knew not remorse, nor pity or any semblance of feeling."

"But something was different with you." It continued, red eyes appearing in the darkness. It seemed the Shadow chose to be invisible no longer. "I remember that day well. I sealed the door behind you, I recall, so that I could trap you inside and ultimately suffocate you." Daniel's mouth ran dry at that. "But somehow you stirred something within me. Something powerful."

"I did?" Daniel asked dubiously, shaking his head.

"_Yes_." The Shadow loomed in once more and Daniel felt himself shrink away. "For the first time in my pitiful existence, I could _feel_."

"Surely you cannot attribute that to me!" Daniel rebuked, eyes wide.

"I do not know. But it was a powerful experience. Imagine," The Shadow moved, circling Daniel as if he were prey. "living your entire life with no self conscious, no matters to make things your own. To be a slave for an unfeeling, unmoving, unresponsive _object_!" Its voice shook the walls once more and Daniel eyed them warily, opening his mouth to voice his concern but being interrupted by the Shadow as it continued. "My entire kind is spawned from the belly of a creature they hold captive, plucking us out when needed, instruments for trade. Utensils for use. And that is how I've seen myself for centuries."

"But to have that all suddenly change when one, singular being walks in upon me? What _are _you, Daniel?" The Shadow pressed, talons snaking forward and taking a hold of the man's arm, leaving Daniel with a shocking sensation of cold. "I must know. I had to know. So I protected you from suffocating, I followed you around this cursed world, trying desperately to make contact but-"

"But I came here." Daniel finished for it, his arm going numb under the Shadow's touch. The coldness the creature had in its grip was just so unnatural, it caused his lips to quiver! "And now you would have me retrieve your orb, to become your slave just as you were to it!"

"You don't have much of a choice, do you?" The Shadow whispered and Daniel wrenched himself free of its grip, rubbing his arm irritably.

"But what after, when my task is done?" Daniel implored, images of Herbet and William Smith coming back to him. "Will I not just be killed, as they were? Why should I help you?"

The Shadow's eyes narrowed as it considered Daniel, before slowly shaking its head. "You will be spared, Daniel." It hissed, pressing past the man to the door. "For if you truly are the reason for my mind's salvation, you are a hero for my people. For my kind." In one swift movement it broke through the door, the object flying far into the next room before shattering into pieces. The Shadow turned back to Daniel, and Daniel could swear its eyes seemed somehow softer.

"Redeem us, Daniel."

* * *

A lot of talking, and I'm sorry for that. But Daniel needed some answers before we press on! He couldn't just agree willy-nilly, haha. Especially with someone like the Shadow! There will be more action next time, that is for certain.

Thank you for the views, I didn't expect the first chapter to get such traffic! Leave me a review sometime, I'm rather friendly. ;p

-Omi


	3. Fusion

"Show me, Daniel."

Daniel briefly glanced towards where the voice had rose from before turning away with a sigh. This… arrangement, was still taking some getting used to. For the most part he had been content to ignore the beast when it spoke, trying his best to focus on maneuvering the castle without attracting Alexander's servants, but the Shadow seemed not to care for such sensitivities. Rather, it was being quite…

"I would not be so '_strenuous_' if you simply followed orders." A growl hummed directly in front of him, Daniel's path suddenly obstructed by an unseen force. He moved to take strides around the being but was halted once more, invisible coils wrapping around his arm. "You think I cannot sense what you've tucked away? Show me." A pause. "Do not make me retrieve it myself."

_That_was convincing enough. With a slight tug, Daniel pulled himself away from the Shadow's coils, feeling them warily slip from his arm. He knew what it was on about; it was a Guardian of the orb, correct? It must have sensed the pieces of the other one he'd managed to find scattered amongst the castle. He slowly procured the pouch in which he held them, unfastening it from his side. His fingers fondled the opening loosely before it was ripped from him, its contents suspended in midair.

"Do you _mind_?!" Daniel spat, scrambling forth to catch the various tinderboxes and Laudanum vials the Shadow deemed unworthy before they hit the ground. "You may have no need for such items but that is no cause to treat them so callously!"

There wasn't an immediate response and Daniel looked up, eyes widening a fraction at the sight before him. The pieces of the orb hung suspended, twirling around and around in a lackadaisical pattern. He watched as the pieces suddenly froze and small, fractional beams of blue began connecting the edges of the shards, weaving in and out. It was almost as if the Shadow was knitting them back together through means supernatural and… strange.

Suddenly darkness enveloped the orb and the room became black once more. Daniel gasped, striking the lantern to life only to have a wicked gust of air wrench it from him and hurl it across the way, glass smashing into the wall with a deafening shatter. Panic choked him and he took steps back, shaky hands finding the wall and pressing against it. The stone beneath his palms were cool and brought little comfort to him as his hair whipped wildly, the wind intensifying with every second. Daniel felt his fingers pulse in line with his heartbeat, a quick and terrified tempo. Taking one last gulp, Daniel closed his eyes to endure the storm.

But as quickly as it had come, the wind died down into a silent sense of eeriness.

His eyes remained clenched for many seconds until Daniel roused, the sound of collapsing gravel shifting his gears into motion. He looked to find the source of the collapse, only to reel back in surprise as the Shadow's eyes blazed to life, their cruel red hue illuminating the room in a subtle ruby haze. The sensation was remarkably familiar, and Daniel was reminded of the various times he noticed a red mist, particularly when he had been chased by that… he flinched, recalling the unseen beast that had lurked within the waters, and how similar its behavior was to this… thing.

A heavy sigh roused him once more, the Shadow giving Daniel an almost patronizing leer. "You really do liken me to the most foul of beasts." It muttered irritably before extending a limb forward, unraveling slowly until a burst of light poured through its seams. Daniel gasped; it was the orb, complete in its construction, perfectly sealed and definitely solid!

"But how?" Daniel managed to say, reaching forward to take the object but was denied as the Shadow pulled away. His hands fell. "Your… magics, are very foreign to me." He began, green eyes settled on the object, examining, admiring. "When I reconstructed your orb, its pattern came to me in a dream and it sealed by itself! But you… you wove it together, as a tailor would linen!"

The Shadow blinked then and Daniel wondered if it even knew what a tailor was, or if it even cared. It seemed to dismiss the thought, however, as its gaze tilted downwards to study the orb intently.

"I gave you that dream." It stated bluntly, dark tendrils running across the orb's surface, as if lovingly. "Tracking is so much harder to do when our objects are in shambles. It gives us false signals and dead trails. I had to have you align the pieces properly so I could… fuse it, through mentality alone." It paused then, gesturing to the orb in its talons. "This one is not mine."

Daniel digested the information slowly. "Are you saying there are more of… you? Your kind? On this world, at least?" A terrible prospect, that was, to have such abominations lurking in the shadows and not even realizing it. Ignorance is bliss, perhaps...

"Of course there are, and we aren't '_abominations'_, as you so kindly put it." the Shadow spat, its gaze narrowing as its voice rumbled. "I am growing tired of your constant state of fear and disrespect for another, even if I am not of humanity. You have a name, as do I, as do we all, yet-"

Daniel jumped as a familiar growl echoed just beyond the door across the room. No, not now! He immediately turned and cast about for a hideaway; there was a bookcase, a couple barrels, and… oh, God. The rest of the room had given way and collapsed, presumably during the orb's fusion. They were literally trapped with one exit, which was being pounded on as he dawdled. Panicked, Daniel ducked down behind one of the barrels, his thoughts rapid and chaotic. Right. He would wait for the creature to enter, and listen for it… perhaps it would notice the wreckage and leave. But if not, Daniel would have to act fast, perhaps use his barricade to his advantage and-

His blood ran cold as the Shadow roared, a long, deep, foreboding howl that resounded off the walls. Dizzy, he dared a glance out from behind his hiding spot, eyes unfocused in the darkness. There was a pause in the breaking of the door, had the thing been scared away? Daniel flinched back into hiding as the pounds came again; apparently not.

As the Shadow roared again, Daniel hissed. "_What are you doing!_"

"I am giving it a chance to leave."

"But why! Just end it and be done!" Daniel argued, teeth chattering as his body shook.

"They were human once." The Shadow remarked, turning an eye back to Daniel. "And I will show it mercy, even if it cannot comprehend such a thing anymore. It is the least I can do to repent for the blood that has been spilled in my name." It gave Daniel a look and he withered, turning away to swallow his guilt.

The door broke in at last and Daniel held his breath, covering his ears so he needn't hear the ripping of flesh or gnashing of bones that was certain to follow. He curled in on himself, willing away the dark thoughts that threatened to consume his sanity… paint the lines, cut the flesh. It was all too similar. All for the Shadow, that was right. And what exactly have such tributes earned yourself, Daniel? A shameful life as a slave to the very thing you were warding against in the first place. How… ironic.

He didn't know how long he lay there until a tap came at his elbow. He cried out, startled, before looking up. The Shadow was watching him, eyes unreadable, the orb extended towards him in its talons. Daniel tentatively reached for it with trembling hands and took it, the Shadow clinging as if worried he would drop it, before letting go. Daniel held the artifact close, taking comfort in the light that poured from its surface, his quakes gradually slowing into a subtle tremor.

He felt a pressure on his head and flinched away, looking up once more to find the Shadow's hand suspended above him, almost uncertainly. Its eyes flickered for a moment and it pushed Daniel's bangs away from his eyes before turning, lumbering back towards the door.

"Rise when you have the strength." It murmured quietly, looking back. "You will need it."

"Why is that?" Daniel managed, settling his back against the barrel, the orb glittering against his chest.

"All of this land's artifacts, orbs as you know them, are interconnected. If I can find one, the others become clear to me."

"You know where yours is then." Daniel whispered, swallowing hard. "You know where Alexander is."

The Shadow's eyes burned as it smiled, cruel, jagged, bloodstained teeth shining in the darkness; Daniel had to turn away. "_Yes._" It hummed, giving Daniel shivers. "And he shall be put to trial."

"Trial?" Daniel blinked, looking back.

"Trial, Daniel. I will be the judge, you the jury, and we both…" It paused, its grin wicked as it faded into invisibility. "shall be his executioner."

* * *

Sorry about the delay between posting, I've been troubled in life nowadays, haha. Happy Halloween! I hope you all are enjoying the Holiday and become engorged on candy and other sweets, and have fun with various costumes. Or perhaps you are like me and hermit yourself inside to lounge after a hard day of work. What can I say, haha!

Thank you so much for the reviews and interest in my story! Its been fun to write so far. Next time ought to be interesting... oh Alexander, you seem a bit outmatched. What ever will you do?

- Omi


	4. AN: An Apology, and Farewell

Hey guys, its Omi.

First of all, I'm terribly sorry about not updating this fic. You might have noticed the long absence over the last few months... well, a lot has happened in my life that has drastically changed things for me. In fact, I'm updating this now from a machine other than my own, since it is no longer available, haha. I'm not going into details, but life suddenly became a hundred times harder, and thus I've been gone.

As for the second part, I am here to regrettably say I will not be completing this story, I fear. So much has happened and between that, my old machine being gone that had my plot lined out for this, and the inability to really focus on much of anything nowadays, I do not see myself ever finishing.

However, I refuse to take it down in case someone likes the idea and wants to continue it, revamp it, or just for you guys to read if you're bored. I didn't want to vanish again without giving folks opportunities.

So there you have it. I'm deeply sorry to make you guys wait only to deliver this as the 'new chapter'; it may have gotten some excited. Sorry to let ya down.

Have a nice one guys, its been fun.

- Omi


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